Virginia McCormack, MSED, is the founder and owner of Moms For Joy - Life Coaching for Moms. She has been working with children and families for over 20 years as a classroom teacher, counselor, parent educator, life coach and most importantly as the mother of three children who are now 12-, 10- and 7-years old.
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Baby Think It Over
Oct 23, 2009 11:01 AM
Categories: Motherhood, My Life
Baby Think It Over (BTIO) is part of the eighth grade health curriculum in our school district. Baby Think It over is an anatomically correct doll that simulates a real baby. The parent (eight grade student) has a wrist band much like the ones you get in the hospital that has a sensor programmed to the baby doll. The baby doll cries randomly and the young parent tends to the baby doll by feeding, burping, changing the diaper or gently rocking the baby doll. The baby doll coos when he/she is content. All of the babies are programmed from easy to difficult. The sensors in the doll record how well the young parent cared for the baby doll.
The goal of the program is to teach adolescents the difficulties involved in caring for an infant and thus lower the teenage pregnancy rate.
Alex (my eight grader) just started his six week cycle of health class. Basketball starts the first week in November. Alex wanted to get BTIO over with quickly, because he didn’t want to risk being exhausted the day of a game. Hmmmm..
My children know that all school projects are their responsibility. I will guide, and encourage but I will not DO. I told Alex that BTIO wasn’t going to be any different than any other school project. Unlike many of the baby doll ‘grandparents’, I wasn’t going to get up every time the baby doll cried.
Yesterday Alex trudged to the car struggling to maneuver a car seat, a laptop, back pack and diaper bag with a mere two arms. I had to laugh.
The doll, Rachel, was programmed to start at 4 p.m. and end at 5 a.m. All four of us waited in anticipation. I wanted to see just how real this project was. At 4:30 Alex called his teacher because Rachel was still silent. His teacher told him that she was most likely programmed as easy.
When we had to leave for the annual family soccer game, Alex bundled Rachel up being extremely gentle with her head. I was beyond impressed when he explained to me with passion the dangers of Shaken Baby Syndrome.
When he ran off to play in the game, I gently reminded him that he couldn’t leave Rachel unattended. He very politely asked a parent who wasn’t playing if she could watch Rachel while he played. He checked on Rachel every now and then. He kept Rachel by the side of his bed all night.
Rachel never turned on.
Looks like I am going to have another round of being a ‘grandmother’ and Alex just might have to ‘risk’ losing a little sleep during basketball season for BTIO.
What do you think of BTIO?
The goal of the program is to teach adolescents the difficulties involved in caring for an infant and thus lower the teenage pregnancy rate.
Alex (my eight grader) just started his six week cycle of health class. Basketball starts the first week in November. Alex wanted to get BTIO over with quickly, because he didn’t want to risk being exhausted the day of a game. Hmmmm..
My children know that all school projects are their responsibility. I will guide, and encourage but I will not DO. I told Alex that BTIO wasn’t going to be any different than any other school project. Unlike many of the baby doll ‘grandparents’, I wasn’t going to get up every time the baby doll cried.
Yesterday Alex trudged to the car struggling to maneuver a car seat, a laptop, back pack and diaper bag with a mere two arms. I had to laugh.
The doll, Rachel, was programmed to start at 4 p.m. and end at 5 a.m. All four of us waited in anticipation. I wanted to see just how real this project was. At 4:30 Alex called his teacher because Rachel was still silent. His teacher told him that she was most likely programmed as easy.
When we had to leave for the annual family soccer game, Alex bundled Rachel up being extremely gentle with her head. I was beyond impressed when he explained to me with passion the dangers of Shaken Baby Syndrome.
When he ran off to play in the game, I gently reminded him that he couldn’t leave Rachel unattended. He very politely asked a parent who wasn’t playing if she could watch Rachel while he played. He checked on Rachel every now and then. He kept Rachel by the side of his bed all night.
Rachel never turned on.
Looks like I am going to have another round of being a ‘grandmother’ and Alex just might have to ‘risk’ losing a little sleep during basketball season for BTIO.
What do you think of BTIO?
LUV2LOSE says,
I thought it was silly. My daughter, who is currently nannying for her 3-year-old cousin thought so too. She logically said that a stupid doll isn't a reliable predictor of how well or poorly a teen will adjust to the stresses and demands of parenthood. She treated her doll like a doll. Too bad it's head fell off..... I suppose it may serve a purpose for some kids but I couldn't see tying my daughter down to caring for a doll when I had no fear or suspicion that she was at risk of becoming a teen mom and needed to experience how that would change her life.
Oct 23, 2009 01:12 PM
MomsForJoy says,
A. just got home from school and NOW I have an opinion. The doll never cried, never needed to be fed or burped or changed or held!!! NEVER NOT ONCE in the 13 hours he had it. However he got an Honors because evidently the doll was ON and he did everything he was supposed to do. Can I repeat, he did NOTHING and the doll NEVER peeped in 13 hours. That is ridiculous! UGH!!!!!
Oct 23, 2009 02:39 PM
LUV2LOSE says,
That's ridiculous, all right! I also think it's ridiculous to think that with you as his role model he needed to care for a doll to teach him the responsibilities of caring for a child. From what you have written about this boy he is caring and responsible beyond his years. For THAT he deserves and Honors!
Oct 23, 2009 08:01 PM
NaptimeNotes says,
I think these dolls are probably meant to be used in more of an inner city where teenage pregnacy is more of a problem. Are there any statistics to back up that this program works? I am all for something that will curb teenage pregnancy though!
Oct 23, 2009 01:46 PM
INeedaMinute says,
Gosh, Julie, the inner city does not have higher rates of teen pregnancies. We adopted and most birth moms who were teens were from the middle of the Country and many were uneducated. I can understand why you might think it would be the "big city" that would currupt a teenager, but the fact is that unwanted pregancy, parental abuse, parental neglect and every problem you can think of touches all parts of our society and definitely stem from families in small towns and large ones alike.
Oct 23, 2009 02:05 PM
NaptimeNotes says,
What I simply meant is there are more children in the inner cities, therefore it would reach more kids. Teen pregnacy is a problem everywhere in this country. I would like to see the statistics from these dolls now that they have been using them for a while and see if they have helped. Preventing teen pregnacy has been a cause near and dear to my heart for over 30 years. I had trouble concieving, I also adopted a child. I think what you will find is more teenage mothers in cities keep their children. I went through a lot of pain not being able to have my own biological child and watching these young girls pop the babies out. Like I said, anything that can reduce teen pregnacy is fine with me.
Oct 24, 2009 08:05 AM
AndreaCesari says,
Baby Think it Over is an EXCEPTIONAL program through Healthy Families part of YAI. (formerly Youth Alternatives now Youth Alternatives/Ingraham partnered together). Those dolls are very expensive and should be treated with respect and care. They are not a joke toy nor a fun doll to show off and play with. If your baby doll does not work for whatever reason, contact them ASAP either through your son's teacher or directly to the YAI Agency here in Portland (tel # is in the phone book) and they will want to know about it not working to fix and/or replace it. (That is, if you really want your son to get the full effectness of the exercise). The program is well known for its effectiveness in educating young people not only about teen pregnancy but about child abuse prevention and is a wonderful teaching extension for families around parenting and responsibility issues. Those that have not experienced abuse trauma in families, or even how it can be perpetuated generationally, may not understand the value of this tool for their children. Healthy Families has written literature available upon request about this particular program, statistics, contacts, etc. as well as for many other areas of helping families also. You can also find out about them by going thru 211 either online or by phone.
Oct 23, 2009 02:28 PM
LUV2LOSE says,
Please be assured we neither treated the doll as a joke nor carelessly. Its head simply rolled off. It may have been treated roughly before she got it, but she respected that it was an expensive piece of equipment and took care not to damage it. Although I am sure the program has its merits, for my daughter and certainly for other children too, it was silly. It would be like making a child who just completed Algebra 2 with an A average take a general math course. It was unnecessary and so I had no objection to her leaving the doll in a part of the house where any fuss it made would not bother anybody. I'm very sensitive to the problems of trauma and domestic violence and I applaud any programs undertaken to address and prevent it. I don't think BTIO doesn't have any merit. I am just saying that I was very confident that although she would let a doll cry unattended, that was no reflection whatsoever as to how she would behave with a real human infant.
Oct 23, 2009 08:09 PM
MomsForJoy says,
How come I can't reply two times to your comment? I'll get you here. A. has taken care of a real baby much to my surprise a few years back when a baby slept in his room two nights a month. He was the one woken and the one consoling a crying baby as the adults slept upstairs. (I wasn't there). He has gotten his honors all right. BTIO is done! Well for now anyways, I have two more coming up the curriculum ladder. HA!
Oct 23, 2009 09:24 PM
MomsForJoy says,
Andrea we did contact the teacher and as I stated in my reply the doll required nothing and never peeped in 13 hours. That is NOT an experience of a baby. I must say here though, I am 100% impressed with the health curriculum in the junior high and the teacher is extremely gifted in reaching the young adolescents.
Oct 23, 2009 02:45 PM
INeedaMinute says,
Sounds like it's teaching the WRONG lesson 'eh? My baby was good but she was like most or all babies I dare say and not like the doll from the look of it. This is a great post and I apologize for getting off track but generalizations or stereotypes always get my goat so to speak. Moving on, I also find it interesting that this doll is part of the curriculum. Hmmm. I'm not sure how I feel about that -- perplexed I suppose because the doll itself is not a wizard. ;-) LOL
Oct 23, 2009 06:41 PM
INeedaMinute says,
Virginia, one more side to this I tought I'd toss out: There is a fine line in the sand where schools get too involved in the parents role and this doll seems to be a perfect example. Just as we as parents should teach our children the set of values we respect and if we are church going, to go to church or pray, do you see the doll being part of the school curriculum as overstepping it boundaries with school studies and parenting? There is that side of the doll issue as well that is a dark cloud over this entire issue. Public schools are responsible for parenting now? ;-) You get me point which is clearly overstated but only to emphasize it here.
Oct 24, 2009 06:49 AM
MomsForJoy says,
Laurie I do like the sex education curriculum here and the health teacher is beyond fabulous. However I am extremely open with my children. No topic is off limits. Is the school responsible for parenting? Absolutely not! The doll was kind of silly. I worry because some of the kids LOVE this project.
Oct 25, 2009 03:54 PM
melanieannie says,
Though I understand why the schools are trying to teach this lesson to the kids, I have to say it really is the job of the parent. Of course, many parents out there are not teaching their children anything in regards to sex education. And I also realize that some kids will go ahead regardless of what they are taught. I'm glad the program didn't cause too many problems for A. Let's hope some kids who needed the education actually got something out of bringing the doll home.
Oct 25, 2009 02:21 PM
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